Animal-trap.



w. MAEGHLER.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED IAY 2a, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Q/Vitmzouo J.

WALTER MAECHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed May 23, 1908. Serial 'No. 434,567.

To all uhom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER MAECHLER, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Animal-Traps, of whichthe fol owing isa specification.

This invention is an animal trap particularly intended for catching miceand rats, and has for its object to provide an improved constructionhaving novel features with respect particularly to the trap door and themeans for holding the bait.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trap; Fig. 2 is an end elevation;Fig. 3 is a top lan view; and Fig. 4 is a vertical longitu inal section.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates a box one end wallof which is inclined and formed with steps 7 for the ap' proach of theanimals to the trap door 8' at the top. This door is suspended by meansof a U-shaped hanger 9 on which the tra is pivoted, so that 1ts inner orrear end wi 1 drop under the wei ht of the animal, and the animal willfali into the box below. The u per ends of'the arm of the hanger 9 areoffset and pivotally hung in holes 10 in the opposite sides of the box.In consequence of this construction the trap door has a turning movementon its own pivot and also a swlngin or oscillating movement on thepivots of t e hanger 9, producing a very effective action, since whenthe animal steps on the drop the door swings down'and also laterally,giving a drop which completely removes the su ort from under the animaland insures its fia il into the box below. The front end of the door is,of course, sufficiently weighted to cause the door to close or becomereset as soon as the animal falls.

The bait is hung by a, hook 12 supported 7 by an upright piece 13 whichextends under or through a strap 14 on the back of a plate 15' whichholds a mirror 16 behind the bait hook. The plate is slitted and bentout as at 17 to form a spring, and the mirror and late are su ported 'bythe rear end of the ox, being p aced thereon so that the upper edge ofsaid wall will enter between the sprlng 1.7 and the standard 13 whichform a clip embracing the upper edge of the wall of the box and 80holding the parts in lace. The bait is placed on the hook whic hangsbefore the mirror, and the animal, on reaching the top of the steps andseeing his reflection in the mirror, will approach the bait quickly inthe belief that the image in the mirror is another animal, The rear endof the box is provided with a sliding door 20 for the removal of thetrapped animals.

I claim:

1. An animal trap provided with a trap door or fall, and a hangersupporting the same, the door being pivoted to turn on the hanger, andthe hanger bein pivoted above the door, to swing therewith.

2. An animal trap comprising a box, a trap door at the top thereof, anda hanger on which the door is pivoted, the hanger having arms extendingupwardly above the door and pivoted at their upper ends to the sides ofthe box.

3. An animal trap comprising a box, a trap door at the top thereof, amirror frame behind the door, a standard attached to the back of theframe and rovided with a bait hook in front of the mirror, the frame andstandard forming a clip which clasps the up er edge of the end wall ofthe box.

11 testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER MAECHLER.

Witnesses:

NELLIE FELTSKOG, H. G. BATCHELOR.

